Show ContentsArden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Arden family

The surname Arden was first found in Limousin, where this ancient family has held a family seat from very early times.

Early History of the Arden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arden research. Another 291 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1101, 1453, 1568, 1849 and 1900 are included under the topic Early Arden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arden Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ardant, Ardante, Ardent, Ardans, Ardan, Ardent, Arden, Ardens, Arddant, Arddante, Arddent, Arddans, Arddan, Ardenne, Arddent, Ardden, Arddens, Ardente and many more.

Early Notables of the Arden family

More information is included under the topic Early Arden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arden Ranking

In the United States, the name Arden is the 11,920th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Arden migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Arden Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Hen Arden, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 2
  • Henry Arden, who landed in Virginia in 1638 2
  • Robert Arden, who settled in Virginia in 1638
  • Robert Arden, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 2
  • Robert Arden, who landed in Virginia in 1642 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Arden Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • German Arden, who arrived in New York in 1796 2
  • John Arden, who landed in Mississippi in 1798 2

West Indies Arden migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 3
Arden Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Susan Arden, aged 15, who landed in Barbados in 1684 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Arden (post 1700) +

  • John R. Arden, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 1st District, 1988, 1990 4
  • Hunter Arden, American politician, Independent Candidate for Presidential Elector for Alabama, 2008 4
  • Edwin Hunter Pendleton Arden (1864-1918), American actor, theatre manager, and playwright
  • Mr. Roger Hollins Arden M.B.E. (b. 1945), appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to the community in Liverpool 5
  • Eve Arden (1908-1990), born Eunice M. Quedens, American Academy Award nominated actress, best known high school teacher in the classic Our Miss Brooks (radio and television)
  • Tom Arden (1961-2015), pen name of David Rain, Australian-born, British science fiction and fantasy writer, best known for his Orokon five volume saga
  • Mark Arden (b. 1956), English comedian and actor
  • The Rt Hon. Lady Mary Howarth Arden DBE (b. 1947), Baroness Mance, British judge
  • John Arden (b. 1930), award-winning English playwright
  • Richard Pepper Arden PC, KC (1744-1804), 1st Baron Alvanley, British barrister and politician
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Arden Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Omnibus solis virtutibus ardens
Motto Translation: All the virtues of burning


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  5. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists


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